There is an increasing need for circuit board components that have a minimum number of parts and reduced costs of production. Application Ser. No. 135,815, filed Mar. 31, 1980, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,067, which discloses a slide switch that has a housing, a slide member and contact members that are directly engageable with fixed circuit board contacts is one example. When multiple switches are required, however, space considerations make it impractical to mount several such slide switch units adjacent to each other. The present invention provides a multi-unit switch that is compact and has a minimum number of parts. A switch in accordance with the invention can be used in situations where dual in-line package (DIP) switches are used such as the DIP switch shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,287. A switch module in accordance with the invention is competitive in price with and is smaller in overall size than a DIP switch having the same switching capability.
The present invention is directed to the achievement of a high density miniature switching device intended for circuit board use having a substantially reduced number of component parts and having spring contacts therein which are directly engageable with fixed contact points on the circuit board. The invention is further directed to the achievement of providing multiple, as well as single, function capability. Assembly of the switch to the circuit board does not require soldering but rather can be achieved by the means of mounting feet integral with the switch housing.
A preferred form of the switch module in accordance with the invention comprises a generally prismatic insulating housing having a plurality of switch cavities therein; each cavity having an essentially U-shaped spring contact member and an actuator, therein. The spring contact members can be produced in strip form. The actuator, molded of insulating material, is retained in the housing by the spring contact member. The assembled module is mounted on the foil side of the circuit board.